Lammas: Bottled Hope
by Lady Mimi Alice de Yorke
Summary: Feeling guilty about his part in endangering Lily, Severus uses old magic to try and make amends and protect Lily in the only way he can. Part five of Wheel of the Year series.


**Lammas: Bottled Hope.**

1st July 1980

As Severus stomped around the Borgie Forest in the Scottish Highlands, he couldn't help but think on the news that he'd been given before he started his ingredient hunting excursion. His oldest friend, his Lily, had given birth to the son of his enemy, irrevocably squashing any hope he had for reconciliation between the two of them.

What made it even worse was the fact that because of him, Lily and her son were in grave danger and he didn't know what he could do to try and fix it. He'd thrown himself on the mercy of Dumbledore with the promise he would do everything in his power to help the Order of the Phoenix bring down the Dark Lord, he just wished there was something more that he could do. Severus was just about to pick a piece of Lavender when he recalled something his mother used to do when he was little. A Witches Bottle, designed to protect those you love from harm and negative energies. It was a long shot, but an enchanted bottle filled with protective herbs might be able to offer her some protection.

Cutting two pieces of Lavender and placing them in a separate pouch away from his various potions ingredients, Severus carried on walking through the woods in search for Rose and Cinquefoil that he could add to the Bottle and when he returned to Hogwarts he snuck into the kitchen gardens and cut a couple of sprigs of Rosemary before retiring to his new potions classroom to create the Witches Bottle. Going to the back of his potions store, he searched for the cleanest, nicest bottle he possessed and decided to use that for Lily's Witches Bottle, the coral blue of the glass seemed to emit a calming feel as he held it and pushed his magic into the glass, strengthening it against the elements that it was soon going to face.

Grabbing a piece of Sandalwood and a couple of lumps of Frankincense, Severus moved over to his work bench, where he laid out all the herbs he'd collected and drew his wand, waving it over each herb individually as he cast the _Vivet Serva_ charm, preserving the herbs for years to come, though he hoped the spells wouldn't be needed for so long, that the war would be over long before that. Gently he fit all the herbs he'd collected and gathered into the blue bottle before stopping it with a shard of Malachite. With all the properties of everything he'd gathered, he hoped it would be enough to protect Lily. Still, he knew that he'd taken liberties with what was inside The Witches Bottle. While everything he'd placed in the bottle had protective properties amongst others, it wasn't what was traditionally placed inside A Witches Bottle. Deciding it would be better to be safer than sorry, he collected another bottle and after reinforcing it, gathered together needles, pins and broken glass to fill that bottle.

When they were both prepped and ready he created a make-shift alter on his desk, drew his ebony wand and began to chant.

" _Little bottle of pins; sharp and jagged edges; keep away the one who sins; away from all their hedges. Keep them safe and keep them warm; Watch o'er them when they're sleeping; Keep them safe and free from harm, and always in your keeping."_

As he moved his wand in circle above the two bottles, they began to softly glow, steadily getting brighter and brighter and before he knew it, Severus had lowered his wand and was shielding his eyes from the blinding light. When the light finally faded and he could see again, the two bottles seemed to be alight from the inside for a couple more moments before that too faded, leaving The Witches Bottles prepped and ready to be placed on location, ready to protect his friend, his Lily.

Early the next morning, while the moon was still high and the sun was still set, Severus creeped closer to the gate of the Potter's house in Godric's Hollow, careful not to set off any of the wards he knew would be placed around the property. Kneeling down, he gently wiggled a stone loose either side of the gate so he could place the two Witches Bottles in the perfect position to protect his dear friend. He just hoped that it would help protect her, and though he was loath to admit it, he also hoped it would go someway to protect her new family too.

* * *

 _ **Well, there it is, my Lammas story. This is the shortest one so far, but it felt like a natural ending and I didn't want to mess it up by adding anything else. Regardless, I hope that you've enjoyed it and let me know what you think. Lammas traditions that I've read about tend to revolve around harvests and bonfires, but I came across the idea of Witch's Bottles and decided to use those for this story and Severus' unrequited love for Lily seemed to be a perfect fit, I hope you've enjoyed it.**_

 _ **Next up, Mabon.**_


End file.
